UrbnSpice

"A Taste Of Heart & Home"

Archives for May 2018

Chocolate Short Dough

By

Chocolate Short Dough is a great dough to have in your pastry recipe repertoire. It is a versatile dough that can be rolled out with a rolling pin, or, for those of you who claim to have a ‘fear of crust’, it can easily be pressed into tart shells. I like to use this dough in Chocolate Pecan Pie, warm chocolate tart or one of my favourites:  Chocolate Truffle Tart.

Skip to Recipe

Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough

Chocolate Short Dough

Yield:  Crust for 1 – 9″ pie shell    

Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:

CHEF TALK: This is a crust that can be rolled out with a rolling pin or pressed into the tart shell.  It can easily be adapted to gluten-free crust by substituting a gluten-free flour blend.  For a dairy-free tart, substitute the butter for coconut butter.

INGREDIENTS                

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 8 oz. (1/2 lb) unsalted Butter (softened, but cool)
  • 1/2 cup Icing (confectioners) Sugar

METHOD: 

  1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
  2. Place the butter in the mixer.  With a paddle,  beat on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly creamed. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
  3. Add the icing sugar and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together – approximately 30 seconds.  Gather the dough into a disk or log as shown above.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours.
  6. Roll or press out and dock bottom of the dough.  CHEF TIP:  For tarts or small pies, I like to shape the dough into a log (or cylinder).  Slice off 1/2 inch slices to make it easier to roll out (or press in) the tart shells individually.
  7. To pre-bake, the dough: blind bake the large tart shell for 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and bake 6 minutes more. Cool before using.

Here is a visual step-by-step in photographs How to prepare a Chocolate Shortcrust:

Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough is chilled and then cut into small rounds as shown for tarts or larger pieces to press into a tart pan

Preparing the pan and coating with cocoa powder | urbnspice.com

Prepare the tart pan by brushing with butter and dusting edges well with cocoa powder

Preparing the tart pan with a parchment circle | urbnspice.com

Add a circle of parchment paper into the bottom of the prepared tart pan

Pressed In Chocolate Shortdough Crust | urbnspice.com

The Chocolate Shortdough Crust is pressed into the bottom of the prepared tart pan

Pre-baking chocolate crust | urbnspice.com

Pre-bake the chocolate shortdough crust and cool slightly

Decadent Dark Chocolate Tart | urbnspice.com

The Shortdough crust is filled, baked and chilled before cutting

Chocolate Short Dough | urbnspice.com

2 votes

Print

Chocolate Short Dough

Prep

Cook

Total

Yield 1 9" crust

Chocolate Short Dough is a great dough to have in your pastry recipe repertoire. It is a versatile dough that can be rolled out with a rolling pin, or, for those of you who claim to have a ‘fear of crust’, it can easily be pressed into tart shells. I like to use this dough in Chocolate Pecan Pie, warm chocolate tart or one of my favourites:  Chocolate Truffle Tart.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 8 oz. (1/2 lb) unsalted Butter (softened, but cool)
  • 1/2 cup Icing (confectioners) Sugar

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl.  Set aside.
  2. Place the butter in the mixer.  With a paddle,  beat on low speed for 2 to 3 minutes, or until lightly creamed. Scrape down sides of the bowl.
  3. Add the icing sugar and mix for 30 seconds. Scrape down the bowl.
  4. Add flour mixture and mix on low speed just until the dough comes together – approximately 30 seconds.  Gather the dough into a disk or log as shown above.
  5. Wrap the dough in plastic film and chill for at least 4 hours.
  6. Roll or press out and dock bottom of the dough.  CHEF TIP:  For tarts or small pies, I like to shape the dough into a log (or cylinder).  Slice off 1/2 inch slices to make it easier to roll out (or press in) the tart shells individually.
  7. To pre-bake, the dough: blind bake the large tart shell for 15 minutes, remove the pie weights and bake 6 minutes more. Cool before using.

Notes

For further details, including step-by-step photographs, please refer to my original post.

Did you Make my Recipe? 

Tag me @urbnspice on Instagram and hashtag #urbnspice

Courses Dessert

LEARNING TIPS:  

  • Blind Baking
  • Creaming
  • Docking
Chocolate Short Dough in a warm chocolate tart plated dessert | urbnspice.com

Chocolate Short Dough is used to line a warm chocolate tart

More Like This from Urb’n’Spice:

Learn How to Make a Chocolate Short Dough Tart

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with Crunchy Topping

Milk Chocolate Torte with Almond Praline Crust

If you try my recipe for Chocolate Short Dough, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy! 

Denise Pare-Watson - The Urb'n'Spice Chef | urbnspice.comDenise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

 

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Budget Friendly Beef Bourguignon (Burgundy Beef)

By

Beef Bourguignon is a classic French dish and is essentially a beef and mushroom stew served on noodles. It is typically made with a tender cut of beef like beef tenderloin.   I have utilized more economical cuts of beef – such as stewing beef or chuck roast which I cut into strips for a more elegant appearance. The deliciously rich sauce with tender braised meat is served on top of tagliatelle or thick egg noodles. Beef Bourguignon is a very versatile dish that can be presented family style on a platter or plated individually with any number of garnishes.  I usually save some of each of the pearl onions, caramelized mushrooms and crispy bacon lardons to garnish the finished dish – add a sprinkle of parsley and you are ready to feast on a delicious meal.  Enjoy with a glass of Burgundy wine or any full-bodied red wine.

Skip to Recipe

Beef Bourguignon | urbnspice.com

Beef Bourguignon is presented family style

…

Read More »

The Ultimate Blended Burger – A Blenditarian Recipe

By

BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes.  To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.”  This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the May is “National Burger Month” Blenditarian Challenge.” The challenge is to create a blended burger by incorporating The Blend (mushrooms + ground meat).” For this reason, I have developed a recipe called The Ultimate Blended Burger.Blenditarian Logo | urbnspice.com

This burger is unique in that it not only incorporates minced mushrooms into a beef/pork mixture; it also contains rehydrated dried vegetable flakes, contributing even more flavour to the burger. Barbeque season is just around the corner – give these burgers a try. They are delicious!

The Ultimate Blended Burger | urbnspice.com

…

Read More »

Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits & Petite Crunchy Croutons

By

Cabbage is not commonly associated with cream soups. In this post, I will teach you how to transform this cruciferous vegetable into a silky, tasty bisque-like soup. When you try this recipe for Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon & Petite Croutons, you will find yourself serving it for special occasions. The gluten-free soup base is thickened with potato rather than a roux, which makes it a quick and easy dish that is ready in approximately 30 minutes.

Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits and Petite Crunchy Croutons | urbnspice.com

Cream of Cabbage Soup with Crispy Bacon Bits and Petite Crunchy Croutons

Nutritionally, the lowly cabbage is a superfood that is low in calories and packs a powerhouse of nutrition and health benefits. Cruciferous vegetables tend to be high in Vitamin A (plays an important role in bone growth and maintaining the immune system), Vitamin C (which we all know protects our immune system, and benefits eye and skin health) and Vitamin K (regulates normal blood clotting, helpful for bone health by assisting the transport of calcium through the body), as well as being high in dietary fibre, linked to improved heart health, increased weight loss and a reduction in inflammation. After understanding all of the nutritional benefits of cabbage, you need to try this easy-to-make and flavourful soup. You will not be disappointed!

…

Read More »